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Transportation Safety

Hoosier workers were more likely to be killed in motor vehicle crashes than from any other hazard on the job, including workplace violence and machine-related injuries. In 2014, 52 workers died as a result of a transportation-related incident. These incidents included roadway motor vehicle accidents (30), non-roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles (12), and pedestrians struck by vehicles while working (6).

Transportation-related incidents can affect all industries and are not solely limited to work performed in the transportation and warehousing industry. In 2014, 11 of these incidents happened in the transportation and warehousing industry, while 41 fatalities occurred in other industries including agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (13), construction (8), and administrative and waste services (6).

Workers at risk for suffering serious injuries and death may include, but are not limited to the following:

Real estate agents

Farmers and other agriculture workers

Social service workers

Police officers, fire fighters and other emergency responders

Roadway workers

Long-haul transportation drivers

Salespeople and service technicians

Vehicle repair and tow truck drivers

What can employers do to reduce the likelihood of work-related crashes?

Unlike other workplaces, the roadway is not a closed environment. Preventing work-related roadway crashes requires strategies that combine traffic safety principles and sound safety management practices. Although employers cannot control roadway conditions, they can promote safe driving behavior by providing safety information to workers and by setting and enforcing driver safety policies. Crashes are not an unavoidable part of doing business. Employers can take proactive worker safety and health-related steps to protect their employee. Below is some guidance that will assist employers in managing their mobile workforce.

Develop and Implement Policies

Assign a key member of the management team responsibility and authority to set and enforce comprehensive driver safety policy.

Enforce mandatory seatbelt use.

Do not require workers to drive irregular hours or far beyond their normal working hours.

Do not allow drivers to use cell phones or communication radios, including hands-free headsets or other electronic devices, like GPS units and tablet PCs while driving.